The term Dari derives from Fârsi-e Darbâri which means 'Persian of the (royal) courts'. It developed at the royal courts of the Samanids (980 AD) in Central Asia and became the major language of Persia. Today, the term is used to refer to three different themes:

1. Dari is the local name used for the Persian language in Afghanistan.

2. Dari (also called Gabri or Yazdi) is the name used by Zoroastrians to refer to the Northwestern Iranian language they speak.

3. Dari is also the name of the Persian language in classical Persian poetry.